The present invention relates to a geographic position enabled weapon launcher safety system and method intended for armed unmanned vehicles.
Inadvertent discharge or launch of a weapon is a significant hazard. The risk of this hazard is reduced by a variety of means in existing weapon systems. In firearms, a mechanical safety switch helps prevent inadvertent discharge of the weapon due to mechanical failures or handling errors. In armed manned vehicles such as ships, some ground vehicles, and aircraft, weapons release or launch authority can be controlled by an electrical circuit.
One method of providing control of launch or release authority (i.e. “enabling”) to the weapon system on manned vehicles is through the use of a “Master Arm” switch controlled by a vehicle crewmember. In this situation, the crewmember determines if and when the vehicle is in a weapon launch area and manually enables the weapon system for weapons launch or release.
For tele-operated unmanned vehicles, there is no crewmember on board to enable the weapon launch or release authority of the weapons management system, so this safety function is dependent on the integrity of the link between the ground station and the vehicles communications system, as well as the reliability and maturity of the unmanned vehicle's stores management system.
Some unmanned vehicles are fully autonomous, meaning there is no human “in the loop.” In other words, there is no pilot or operator on board and there is no human operating the vehicle remotely. The vehicle may be designed to “think for itself” in that it determines its own flight path, weapons arm and release decisions. With a human not in the loop as an independent safety control to verify launch criteria, the risk to life and property of an unsafe weapon launch or release may be unacceptable.
In addition, when new, unproven armed unmanned vehicles are being tested during their development, they may have unknown flaws or unexpected performance deficiencies which may increase risk to life and property with an inadvertent or uncontrolled weapons launch.
Operator training exercises also involve an increased level of risk due to an increased frequency of errors on the part of trainees. Erroneous control input to tele-operated vehicles or incorrect tasking inputs to autonomous vehicles have the potential to result in inadvertent or uncontrolled weapons launch.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a system to enhance the safety of armed unmanned vehicles and prevent inadvertent weapon launch outside of acceptable geographic weapon launch boundaries.